Four Useful Guitar Amp Recording Tips

This entry was posted on November 28, 2017 by PAL Adam Stafford.

Most people all over the world are attracted to good music. They say music soothes the heart. However, recording a song may not be that easy especially when using a guitar and an amplifier to record a song. Different producers have their views on how guitar-amp recording is done. Discussed below are some the incredible tips on guitar amp recording as perceived by different producers.

1. Getting it right at the source.

Getting your guitar sound as good as possible is one tip that most producers tend to agree on across the globe. This is one important aspect that an individual must have in mind before even thinking of recording. The guitarist must always ensure that the amplifier produces the sound that they crave to hear. A guitarist can ensure that the sound being produced is good for changing amps, guitars, and strings. For recording purposes it is wise to factor in how the guitar cab is interacting with the room it is in. One producer Roy Thomas Baker states that
at times he sets up the same guitar cab in different rooms due to the effect on the sound. Most producers suggest that even if one is confined to one room it is important to try different amp positions in the room.

You could equally place your guitar amp on the studio’s drum riser in order to produce certain sounds. It should be noted that the riser is important in eliminating low-end coupling with the floor.

2. Multi-amp sounds.

A good number of producers like creating larger than life recorded sounds by dividing the guitarist’s instrumental signal to different amps which are then recorded together. For example, Mike Hedges a producer uses this idea. He explains that if you have two or three tracks of guitar: one driven, one half driven and the other clean, as the song progresses one can use the clean track during the verses and as you approach the bridge you change to the heavier guitar sound, and back it off a bit into the chorus then back to the next verse and drop it all out. This is all done on one guitar track and feels like a live performance.

3. Condenser and ribbons.

It is advisable to use a condenser mic on a guitar amp and not dynamics because they are too telephony.Condenser mics are used together with the trusty SM57.These mics boast of their extended frequency response more so at the low ends and the slightly softer, more diffuse sound imparted by the larger diaphragm. Condensers and ribbons are an important part of guitar amp recording.

4. Combination technique and the phase EQ.

For guitar overdubs, the best EQ is the phase EQ that is gotten by using multiple mics on a speaker. Example one can take a Sennheiser MD421, a Shure SM57 and their favorite condenser, set them in a triangle with the two dynamics at an angle up against the grille but off the axis. Take the condenser mic, put a 10dB pad on it, and place it about a foot away, facing the speaker on axis.

One mic is brought at a time and brought to an optimum level on the board. To confirm
whether they are all in phase, ensure that the signal is adding as addition of mics continue. If this does not happen then you should reverse the phase, start to put each mike one at a time
as the faders are being moved back and forth. The greatest EQ will be heard due to the phase relationship.

Final Thoughts ...

The other guitar amp recording tips include adding ambient mics, making different speaker cones, single mic technique among others. Indeed the tips shared above if adhere to can help produce quality music.

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